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I was driving home yesterday after picking up my kids at their grandmothers and stumbled onto National Public Radio. They we’re airing an interview with Ingrid Mattson. Well, if you’re like me you probably have never heard of this woman. I was struck with curiosity though when I heard that she was the president of the Islamic Society of North America. She was Canadian born and raised Catholic. She is the first woman, and the first convert to Islam elected to the position.

I was struck by how intelligent she was, and how articulate she was in her statements. I was struck by how passionate she was about her religion and the calling that she felt she had on her life. She definitely gave a different view of Islam than what I had held in the past. Don’t get me wrong, I have always felt that there we’re many “good” people who were Islamic. But unfortunately that isn’t the picture we get today when we watch our televisions and read our papers. Also, here was an Islamic woman. I think here in America we believe that all Muslim women are oppressed. We definitely have a stereotype when we think of these women with their heads covered. I suppose we think that this is a form of submission, maybe even a way to keep women in their place. Like I say we all have our stereotypes. Here in America we probably have more, it is hard for many Americans to think outside of their own culture.

All of this being said, my point is this; Here was an obviously intelligent woman. She was very educated, and well traveled. Here was a woman who was so passionate about her religion and her calling. What was it that converted her to Islam?

I am a Christian, and I have many reasons that I believe Islam to be a false religion. I don’t want to get into that, it is for another time and place. But what was it that brought such an intelligent lady to this false religion?

Well, during this interview she told of her conversion experience. She told the story of how she met some South Africans who were Muslim and she was struck by how dignified they were. She said they were people who were treated very badly by many people yet they treated everyone with kindness. Even those who didn’t treat them well. She said she was very taken by how they composed themselves, and how they had such self confidence, without being haughty or conceded. I am paraphrasing here, as I can’t remember her exact words. But I think you get the point.

So I began thinking. What would have happened if she had of met some Christians who composed themselves in this same way? What would happen if more Christians composed themselves in this way? Isn’t it what we ought to be doing? We are told in the Bible to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. And shouldn’t we too have a bit of self assuredness about ourselves? We have been given eternal life, and forgiven of our sins. We have nothing at all to fear in this life if we have been saved. Now again, I am not saying that we ought to be prideful or boastful. We deserved none of this. Everything we have comes from God. So our confidence ought not be in ourselves, but in the God that saved us, and He who bore our sins upon Himself on the cross. So let us always have the proper perspective.

So many times Christians are either walking around looking gloomy and sad. That should never be. We ought to have the greatest joy of anyone else walking on the planet. By that same token, way too many times Christians walk around with this holier than thou attitude as if they were better than everyone else they came in contact with. They act as if they had done something to deserve this wonderful gift that they had been given. Neither of these are ways in which a Christian should act.

Many of us could take a lesson from these Muslims that Ingrid met. We need to be dignified, treat EVERYONE with kindness, even those that don’t treat us so well. If we did this, how many more people would we see become Christians. I once heard a quote from Ghandi that said the problem with Christianity isn’t Christ, or His teachings. But it is Christians. I think we all can look at what he said and understand what he means. I’ve also heard it said that we may be the only Bible that some people read, so we ought to be living in a way that glorifies God, and point people to Him. How many of us truly do this? I think we all need to take a look in the mirror and evaluate ourselves.

You know the main thing that really got to me as I listened to this interview was a since of sadness. Like I said earlier this lady was very passionate about her religion and her God. She felt a real calling on her life to give a voice to Muslim women all over the world. And to paint a picture of what she felt Islam was really about. She wanted to show that Islam isn’t the religion of violence we see on T.V. and read about in the papers.

These are all noble things. But the fact is, she is still worshipping a false God. From all indications she is a wonderful woman. But it saddens me that unless she finds the true God, and unless she seeks Jesus, and accepts the salvation that only comes through Him, she will never see the Kingdom of God. It saddens me that there are many people like this in our world. It saddens me also that so many Christians are doing so little about it.

I was reading a sermon by Charles Finney, a great revivalist from the 19th century, and he was talking about many people and churches, and how they profess to have a love for the lost, and a love for the heathen, but never do anything to reach those people. I think many churches and Christians today are in that same boat. We talk a good game about preaching the message of Christ, and bringing salvation to the world, and helping those in need. But where is the action? Is that really a love for the lost? If you aren’t doing anything to bring the message of Christ to people, do you really care about telling people about Jesus? It is time for all of us who call ourselves Christians to have our actions line up with our words. Stop talking about what we are going to do, and do it. This is a lost and dying world. People are dying and going to hell every minute of every hour. Many “good people” are dying without Jesus. Many people who are very sincere about their “religion” are going to hell. If this doesn’t sadden you, then maybe you need to ask yourself if you really are what you claim to be. God bless…

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2 comments

Chris
I live in a Muslim country. Am not American but have a lot of American friends. When my wife was once in a discussion with some other American friends of hers, she was laughed at for suggesting that Christian women should wear modest swim wear, possibly on the lines of this http://www.ahiida.com/. These women who could wax eloquent on the doctrine of Calvinian election, on the Shekinah glory of God and countless other non essentials could not understand my wife’s ‘parochial’ mentality.

Not once in our chuch has the pastor talked about being modest in our outward appearance (both for men and women). Living in the midst of nauseating wealth in the Gulf, sincere Christians themselves are buying into and living the great American dream. Money, power and possession.

If you ask the average muslim man on the road here about his opinion of a Christian woman, the decription you will get is definitely not what Paul set down as guidelines for Godly women. Sad!

You have a good thing going here. Stay connected and may the Lord keep you !

About 6 months ago I received a Quran (translated) in the mail from the global program for introducing the Prophet of Mercy. Since that time I have been reading and researching the tenants of Islam.

For some time I have followed the persecuted church all over the world and found that the greatest opposition is coming from those ascribing to the Muslim faith and have had strong conviction that it will one day be the same in America.

I think we all will agree, that just because someone names the name of a religion, does not mean they are going to follow the doctrinal tenants of that faith. I think that is what Ingrid was alluding to in the program… that radical Islam is not the measure of the Muslim faith, as those that confusedmallu was referring to were not indicative of the Christian faith just because they were American. The seeming problem I find is very few in the Muslim community will openly condemn the egregious acts as they are fearful of similar retribution from this fanatical fringe. Leads one to wonder how strong do the followers of Islam really feel ‘Islam is a religion of peace’ or is it just religious verbiage?

This is also true under the guise of Christendom… we see a very similar comparison when someone does something that is clearly against the teaching of God’s word but uses ‘God and His Word’ as justification of said actions. The killing of George Tiller is a fresh example of this.

This thought process and ideology is as old as Christendom itself. We saw the religious zealots of Christ day that sought to kill Him and that for the cause of God… Christ told His disciples that one day “they shall put you out of the synagogues; and the time will come that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service”. This day in which we are living is no different. Same spirit that we see flourishing today!

If one carefully looks at religion, you can really see two different levels of spiritual intensity and it does not matter the sign that hangs upon the church, mosque, or synagogue.

1. Your have those that passively attend and are doing nothing more than religious duty. This majority lack commitment and really have little or no convictions as to what they believe and would never consider standing firm in the face of opposition. I liken their religion to what would be considered as ‘comfortable’ as like as it is comfortable to them they are fine.

2. The second of this sect would be those that are a part of the fellowship that follow much stronger conviction. They sincerely and wholeheartedly follow after their religious convictions and this conviction has a higher more fervent level of commitment.

This last element could be described as ‘hearts that are set a fire’ and that by a spirit which is different than man’s spirit. This is the level in which true spiritual battle is waged.

We can liken this last group to those in John 8 who opposed Christ and His Word… they were religious folk and the spirit that was kindling their desires was that of the devil… the lust of your father you will do.

This is the vehement opposition that we are seeing against Christianity by the hand of radical Islam and it is a spirit that is at enmity with the cross. It is this same spirit that manifest itself in the radical Hindu as they attempt to kill and destroy. We can liken this to the religious fanatic that kills under the guise of Christianity.

Granted the reasons and justifications in each mind may differ, but one can not deny “that we see things not as they are, but as we are”, and the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

In Christendom this 2nd and smallest group are those that like the radical religious zealot have sold out their all for their God. They will not compromise even in the face of death. They become the persecuted for the cause of Christ.

Time and time again we find that if the persecuted will deny their Saviour and renounce their faith, they will be spared and can live… but they are so radical in their commitment for their Lord that they bear their cross even unto death.

confusedmallu brings to light a very sad point that is true. Many in America and even in the church have little testimony as it pertains to modest dress and living. It tells us that in times of prosperity and blessing that the heart is bent on leaving God and His word. This is to be expected by the world but should never be in the church.

What I would like for mallu to understand from my comments is that those he is referencing to in America, if they are church-ed, are more than likely in group one and sadly the majority that are going through nothing more than the religious motions. Christ said except a man be born again… in Christendom they would fall into group 2 my friend. And their commitment to their Lord is just as fervent as those that are killing them by the actions of another spirit.